tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8254272216866737058.post8096781802332627369..comments2017-08-06T13:55:13.299-06:00Comments on Καθολικός διάκονος: What matters? The way we manage our lives together, part 2Deacon Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385969740195992108noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8254272216866737058.post-12273673584395918392010-12-01T19:04:53.613-07:002010-12-01T19:04:53.613-07:00Dan:Your friend’s situation certainly sounds compl...Dan:<br>Your friend’s situation certainly sounds complicated, which is not uncommon in our far too complex tax system, which is desperately in need of being simplified. Add tax reform to Social Security and Medicare reform. While I do not favor an outright flat-tax, I would be okay with flatter tax rates under a simplified tax code. <br><br>On my reading and even that of former Reagan OMB director David Stockman, the numbers do not support extending the cuts all the way up to $200,000, let alone to $750,000. Part of the economic success achieved by Bill Clinton, engineered largely by Gene Sperling, is by targeting tax cuts to where they do the most good. It is precisely this kind of economic pragmatism we need to revive. I am not hard over on a set figure, as long as it does amount to regressive taxation.Dcn Scott Dodgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994604395739905637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8254272216866737058.post-24063003711317548012010-12-01T10:03:02.112-07:002010-12-01T10:03:02.112-07:00I think a VERY strong case is already made that th...I think a VERY strong case is already made that the common good is already served. We certainly should not treat all tax-payers the same. We don’t right now.<br>According to the CBO, the highest quintile of income earners pay a bit over 80% of the total income taxes collected.<br><br>http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/05/the-rich-pay-more-taxes-top-20-percent-pay-record-share-of-income-taxes<br><br>IMO, America already has a taxation system which recognizes that the rich are their brother’s keeper.<br><br>Anecdotally, I have a friend who has a small business, employs less than 15 people, and files his business along with his personal taxes. He is struggling middle class as are many people, except that his reported income seems high, but this is not actual profit that he has.<br><br>The “uber-rich” are really not those who are making 200,000. In more realistic terms, if that cut-off were placed somewhere in the 750k-1mil range, we would better serve the middle class.Dan Snoreply@blogger.com